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This past Friday Michael Pollan was a guest on “On Point” where he spoke about his new book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals”. He touched on food issues including: our overdependence on corn, the emergence of “organic” factory farms and the re-appearance of issues related to malnourishment in America amongst overweight and overfed children and adults. He also looked at some of the policy issues that have resulted in these problems, and describes the practices that some small-scale, sustainable farmers are offering up as alternatives.
You can listen to the interview online.
In addition, he’s speaking at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA on Wednesday May 17th at 6pm, at an event sponsored by the Harvard Book Store. You can find more details on the event on the Harvard Book Store website; tickets are $3. It sounds like a contingent from The Food Project will be in attendance, maybe we’ll see you there!
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Sent out every six weeks, each e-BLAST contains information on sustainable agriculture, conference opportunities for youth and young adults, job and internship openings throughout the country, funding opportunities, and more.
Every time that I create a new e-BLAST, I’m reminded of how many great opportunities, organizations, and people there are related to food, land, and youth. In my position, I get to screen content for e-BLAST on various food/agriculture related listservs and websites in search of information for or about youth.
This e-BLAST is the largest yet! Click here for the rest of this entry…
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Become a part of The Food Project, and help grow food for the community! Apply NOW to be a Grower’s Assistant at our Lincoln Farm, or apply to be the Farmer’s Market Manager in Lynn.
We also have other jobs available. Go to our list of open positions to learn more!
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Emily Salomon, a Food Project alumna, wrote the following article on farmer’s markets in the state of New Jersey. She wrote on behalf of the International City/County Management Association, where she works, and the article was published in New Jersey Municipalities Magazine.
The full article, with graphics, citations, and footnotes, can be downloaded from here.
Though the weather is still wintry outside, some jurisdictions in the Garden State are gearing up for the growing season and beginning to plan for their community farmers’ markets. During this time of year, market managers throughout the state meet with farmers to secure vendors, build financial support and apply for grants, and put together educational programs. It can also be an excellent time for local governments to develop a strategy for supporting farmers’ markets in their community. Click here for the rest of this entry…
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As part of a presentation on their work, the Boston BLAST team presented this adaptation of a popular tune. We liked it so much we wanted to share!
‘Twas the night before August and all through the country
young activists were stirring - all of them hungry.
The posters were hung round the cities with care
In hopes that the public would be aware
Of farmers hardworking who dug in their beds
While visions of a local food system danced in their heads.
And Lily in her eggplant and Pete in his hat
Were waking the legislators from their post-Happy Meal nap.
When out in Copley there arose such a clatter
Those legislators ran to see what was the matter
The first thing they saw when they looked in the square
Was yellow-shirted interns travelling in pairs.
They were handing out carrots and food guides galore,
Taste-testing tomatoes and peppers and more.
They told about gardens they’d started with kids,
Visits to farmers and other things they did.
They encouraged people to taste test fresh beans
And compare them with canned ones, and then gave them zines
That explained how to contact their reps
And ask for good school lunch – they’d even eat spinach!
Cooler than cucumbers these interns they came
And we cheered and shouted and called them by name
Now Lily, now Amara, now Will, Pete and Nate,
On Katie, on Diaman, there’s no time to wait!
From St. Lucia to Flagstaff, from Alaska to Maine
“Eat in, Act Out” was the refrain.
So turnip the volume and beet on the drum.
Squash the opposition and lettuce do some-
Thing to build a local food system without any leeks.
Pepper people with info so the future won’t be bleak!
And you’ll see us again, 06-07-08
And you know by then we’ll be in every state!
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I grew up in the “bread basket of the world,” a place where you can drive down seemingly endless roads and highways and see nothing but almond orchards and grape vineyards on either side. The Central San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, and some estimate that the San Joaquin Valley produces almost 25% of the United States’ agricultural production dollars. Yet as a young person, my experiences on a farm in the Valley were few and far between.
I remember one experience when I was in elementary school, and I visited one of my friends orange groves. Her father was a lawyer and at the time I was really quite confused about why he would grow oranges on the side. Now that I think of it, I had yet another friend who’s father worked full time and tended to an orange grove on the side! Wait, I’m seeing a trend here now, one of my old high school friends has oranges on his property. His family owns the local hardware store too.
This is unbelievable. Click here for the rest of this entry…
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Geralina is a member of the 2005-2006 BLAST Cadre. This is an update on her project.
I have drafted a flier looking for 9 youth that are willing to participate in my experiment. Hopefully I can recruit those that are struggling with their weight but if not i’ll accept those who have problems with organization or just simply eating habits. i will
distributre the fliers at the two most local high schools : Oakland Tecnhical and McClymonds. I won’t distribute them until i have a formatted food plan and I have funds to support the cost of foods supplys, etc. Click here for the rest of this entry…
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Brandon is a member of the 2005-2006 BLAST Cadre. This is an update on his project.
I have to attend a P.T.O. Meeting tonight at 6:00 at the Local elementary school, to discuss my newest project and that is to start a youth gardening program where we will attempt to grow veggies all year round. I will discuss the importance of getting the youth involved at such an early age and then move into global warming topics, and how to resolve some on our own scale. Then I will bring up what we are going to be doing in our project, I will be building Cold Frames and starting out at that level then gradually progress up to a green house. Click here for the rest of this entry…
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I stumbled across the Vertical Farm Project this past weekend. The idea, in their own words: “Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world’s urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.”
Check out some of the designs–crazy looking stuff! Looks like Dr. Dickson Despommier out of Columbia University is the head of the project.
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Many people have asked for a way to interact online, and we hope that this will be a place for us all to connect by sharing our opinions and discuss issues that we find relevant. Anyone will be able to make comments to posts in this section (including this one). If, however, you want to start a new thread of conversation, please email me at and I can add your idea.
We hope that this space will be valuable by sparking discussions among this talented and diverse group of young people, by raising new issues and challenging each of our beliefs, by helping us all find our own voices and opinions, and by allowing us all to talk to each other about what is of interest to us. The Food Project is setting up this space, but it belongs to everyone and we hope that everyone shares opinions, news articles, criticisms, and comments in a way that is respectful.
